Hello!
Welcome to The Anime & Manga Review!
It has been my dream to create a world on TheO where users can go for anime and manga reviews and finally here it is! I plan to make this world an active, exciting and helpful place for learning about and finding entertaining manga and anime to read/watch.

Hello all! Sorry it’s been so very very very long… (Link to why I’ve been insanely busy for those interested) But for the rest of you I’ll sum it up with work… so much work… (Deadlines suck man!) and so this post is coming to you! (Thanks to my needing an excuse to take a break from mindlessly converting footage from an H264 to AppProRes 422)

Anyways, have you been looking for a new good series to get into but just don’t know where to start looking? Well search no more my friend! The answer is upon you!
I have searched the internet for you! Read hundreds of series! All the work has been done! Here are some ongoing manga that you should really already be reading. For this list I have tried to pick a series from every genre so both shoujo and seinen, Josei and shounen, horror and romance, can all find a new series to throw their passion wildly behind! I have also ruled out the popular popular ones that you already know exsist. Although seriously… Attack on Titan is just… so freaking awesome you really should give it a gander if you haven’t already, but that's for another day, today lets take a look at some lesser know gems! (some are more well known than others)

So here’s the results of my digging through the internet and tentacles to find you the good series!
And now onto
Ongoing Manga You Should Definitely Be Reading Already!!!

Seinen
Ajin
Author: Miura Tsuina
Artist: Sakurai Gamon

I love this series, I love this series!!! So far it’s a hard hitter that's still fun and exciting! I already talked about this series a bit on Thiefspawn’s world IDefyn (so I’m gonna paraphrase myself a bit)
I love the premise~! Ajin is written 亜人 and translates as something like Sub Human. And yeah that’s what this series is about. There’s this new being called an Ajin that can’t die, nobody quite knows what they are, and there don’t seem to be very many of them. Typically nobody even knows that the person they knew was an ajin until they don’t die when they should have.
And in the first chapter our protagonist meets with an accident… And it’s totally awesome! The characters are brutal in their logic and the art style matches that gritty mood as well. Definitely a worth while action series! Plus the series has been quickly gaining popularity and for a reason! Seinen fans, action fans, don’t miss out!

Shoujo
Koushin Ouji
Author/artist: Kuwahara Souta

So cute. Sooooo very cute! Plus it falls into the Supernatural category, which I am a huuuuge fan of! (I may have been part of a paranormal investigation group back in college) Basically it’s about a demon (the demon prince actually) who has come to our earth in order to collect souls and to discover the secret of the Kuronai, which is a power that will allow him to inherit the throne. There, one thing leads to another… and now he’s living at this very optimistic girls home with her and her grandma. I know that basic plot makes it seem run of the mill, but between an adorable shoujo art style and some genuinely heart felt moments, I think this series stands strong. The love interest has real problems, and the prince has a determination to his duty that lets me buy the “drama of will he collect her soul?” Seriously shoujo fans, why aren’t you already reading this? It’s great so far!

Shounen
Ansatsu Kyoushitsu
Author/artist: Matsui Yuusei

Ok I already did a full review for this series so I’ll keep it brief. (read the full review for a complete synopsis, and my awesome personality XD) This is currently one of my absolute must read as it updates manga. Its got what I love, action, comedy, and suspension of drama that makes me want to know whats gonna happen next!!!
To boil the plot down, the story follows a trouble class at an elite school that has been selected to assassinate their teacher, who is an alien, who announced he will destroy the world within a year and as proof he can do it he puts a big hole in the moon. As part of a deal with the Japanese government he will be the teacher of a high school class but the students are the ones who have to kill him. Its silly, its sweet, its actiony and I love it! If you dig comedy and action you really should be reading this!

Seinen/shounen
Spirit Circle
Author/artist: Mizukami Satoshi

I don’t curse much, but damn… just this manga… It seems really silly at a glance and the art is cutesy, but I know what to expect from this author. (The author of one of the personal top ten manga I’ve ever read which I reviewed in an earlier post) And what to expect from this series is one that has equal parts fun, cute and truly sweet moments, and brutal, sad and touching moments. And just… damn this manga is shaping up to truly be something great. Again I HATE jumping to conclusions, manga often get ruined by bad endings, but really this is worth a read. This is a story about a middle school boy who is one day confronted by the new transfer girl, and she says she hates him and proceeds to wack him in the face. There he relives a past life and the revelation of an unbreakable reincarnation cycle between him and the girl begins to real itself. Seriously, give it a try! I personally cannot wait to see where is goes! Give it the first two chapters, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be completely hooked.

And since I don’t have any Josei I’m currently reading…

Another shoujo!
Akatsuki No Yona
Author/artist: Kusanagi Mizuho

Anyone remember that “Top Female Leads in Shoujo” review? I totally would have put the lead, Yona, from this series, on that list I had known of her at the time! Such a fun fantasy shoujo! Has that delightful “red haired princess with problems” clique. (Isn’t that such a random clique?! But seriously, I know like. Over 5 manga in that genre) Anyhoo, follows the story of a princess who has to grow stronger as a person and complete a quest in order to reunite the country and regain the thrown. I love it because she does grow as a character and is, I feel, pretty awesome that way. I totally believe her emotions and can relate to them. I don’t even mind that is has a reverse harem (one girl with tons of guys) which usually is a deal breaker for me. It’s just a very interesting story and I want to see what happens next, what more can you ask for?

Anyways, I hope that this list helps you find that new special manga in your heart!
Let me know if you give it a read! I’m always curious to see what other people think!
And in between now and my last post feel free to browse my other entries! Maybe you'll find more than one series to love. ^-^

Wow! Thank you all so much!
Thanks to your support this world is right on the brink of 2000 views! *bows* I know I’m getting redundant but… thank you for helping me keep this world running!
Tell you what when we make it to 5000 views I’ll do something ultra special!

Ok to the point! A little mini article to celebrate!

Manga VS Anime
Which do you prefer?!

You just heard about that new good series, there’s an anime for it and there’s a manga for it! Which do you decide to check out?
I know a lot of us turn to the internet or a friend to tell us which is better, but lets face it, there are always people who vote on either side and in the end you have to make to choice yourself.
So is it manga or anime?
Lets look at some pros and cons of each.

CONS
Takes a long time to watch
Isn’t always true to the manga (may not apply depending)
The episodes may release slow.
Those rehashes at the beginning reminding us what happened (I just don’t like those…)

Manga
PROS
Usually by the time there’s an anime adaptation there’s quite a few chapters released! (Binge reading time!)
More detail, the story has more time to be fleshed out
Faster to read than to watch. (you can read that DBZ battle in less than an hour to the 3 or 4 in anime for example)

CONS
It doesn’t move or talk… and that’s fun in anime
More reading (I don’t mind it but hey we all get tired during those really wordy chapters when its all talk and explaining)
Again possible slow chapter release

So which do I prefer?
I’m a manga reader. I read a (probably) unhealthy amount. (I read on average a series or so a week, plus I keep up with weekly updates) >.> I am such a terrible terrible geek… *cough* To the point! Manga to me tends to be better than the anime, as it tends to be more detailed. Of course there are a handful of series to which I would say skip the manga, but those tend to be series that are manga adaptations of the anime or and anime and a manga based off the same light novel. For instance, the Darker than Black manga…. (at least the first one) just isn’t that good, or at least nowhere near the awesomeness of the first season of the anime.
There are also series where I feel both have merit in one area or another.
Now mind you! I still go all google eyed when my favorites get the anime treatment!

The anime’s out! The manga is available!
Which do you grab?

~Tsu

PS. There will still be a regular review this week. No idea what it will be yet… I should get on that…